1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created

One of my favorite writers regarding history. He researches and then tells the stories that make up the trends of the times. Humans are truly a messy lot tha careen through this passage called life, and I doubt we will ultimately survive as a species. But until then, he makes it interesting, and makes it crystal clear that there is nothing new under the sun. Bad behavior? It's all been done before.

The book is interesting but I bought it in Kindle format and am going to have to check out a copy from the library to finish it because Chapter 9 of the Kindle edition is a complete mess. Do not buy this book for Kindle.

This is such a gripping history book. The history that I learned in school was a misunderstanding. Years ago, historians did not really understand what had happened. When Europeans came to N. America they encountered a population that had been almost completely destroyed by disease. (Not "decimated", because "decimate" means to kill only 1 in 10.) I had not realized that by the time the Pilgrims had landed, 90% of the population of the Americas had been wiped out by yellow fever, malaria, measles, and other diseases. "Squanto" who we learned about in school, was one of the last survivors in the Americas of waves of temperate diseases brought by Europeans first, then later by waves of tropical diseases brought by African slaves. In some tropical places, only those people with African genes survived the mosquito-borne diseases.

Great read! Full of useful historic info! Enjoyed content very much! Showed how exploration led to plus & minus' for the world population! What will eventual colonization of Mars bring - it's long overdue!

Great book giving an in depth look at the effects of the discovery of the new world. Some of the repercussions are unexpected. This book gives a new look to globalization, it's older than you think. I loved this book!

Perhaps the most important point made in this book is that globalization started soon after Columbus discovered the Americas. Many things including potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize, silver, rubber, and tobacco were exported to the rest of the world. Importation of cotton, sugar cane, small pox and malaria changed the Americas markedly.

Illuminating. If you don't read this book you will never be able to really understand the reasons behind the changes that the interchange of the European and American cultures experienced or how the world exists today because of those interchanges and exchanges. This real history this book reveals should be in taught every 8th grade classroom.

This has become one of my most-recommended books to friends and associates. Charles Mann is perhaps the ideal combination of meticulous researcher and gifted writer, and the patterns of history this book reveals are as relevant to the present day as they are revelatory of the twists and turns of world history in the centuries following Columbus' collision with Hispaniola. This volume explodes from that day in 1492 to trace the profound biological, economic, ecological and agricultural changes that influence us so heavily today. The parallels (not specifically called out by the author, but easily parsed) between modern problems and their historic counterparts are in many cases quite uncanny. Here you will find the cultural, psychological and economic ancestors of the 2008 crash, hyper-inflation, and the successes, follies and disasters of modern governments and free markets. This is a book I consider essential to an understanding of the world we live in and how we got here. If there were ever a perfect examplar of the aphorism that those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it, this history is it.

The book is clean and shipping prompt. Isn't there a brand of labels that can be removed from the book. This book had six labels and I will be irritated by them every time I pick up the book. The labels are put on randomly and look terrible. I treasure my books and this takes some of the good feelings away.

If only history had been taught like this book reads perhaps we'd all be wiser as to the consequences of our greed and actions. This book is an eye opener ! It fills the gaps with thought provoking material instead of memorized dates. All I can say is Wow! I highly recommend this book and hope it finds its way to schools where students might be engaged.

This book is fantastic. It's definitely one of my all-time favorites, and it details a series of events that is rarely covered in-depth in schools here in the US, despite its massive influence on us all. I've always wondered about how things have changed over the centuries in terms of food. Look at potatoes and tomatoes. Both come from the Americas, and yet they've become ubiquitous in so many countries. I couldn't imagine Italian cuisine without tomatoes, Indian cuisine without chili peppers, or Northern European cuisine without potatoes. This book does a great job detailing how the world we live in came to be the way it is, in this area and many others.

Brilliant writing, breaks down history in a great sweeping storyline. Proves again that reality is far more unbelievable than fiction. You'll never underestimate the power of mosquitoes again. Every history buff should read this book and keep it as a reference.

This connects the dots for anyone that is interested in more than a glossing over of the history of earths people, places and motivations of change. "Things happen for a reason;" this explains the reasons. Its not Jesus exactly..sorry...its money and the lack of.

After reading 1492, I should not have been surprised to once again discover how little I know about an important piece of history that affects current world affairs. I have purchased copies as gifts for a inner of friends. It is a treat to read and re-read.

In this book the author discusses the history and effect on the New World that we “discovered” (Europeans) and how Globalization started then, which we are now both benefiting and suffering from. That while the world today has become a much smaller place, with connections between countries that never had them before, Globalization started back when the Europeans arrived in the New World. Both good and bad, diseases, plants, inventions, people, ideas, all exchanged between continents, which has brought and continues to bring enhancements, benefits, as well as problems, but there is no going back despite those who would have then and even today. Very timely suject considering today’s controversies. This book is less pedantic than his other one.

This book will totally change your view on how the Americas have changed the course of world history. The environmental impacts described herein are astounding. From the availability of sugar, cocoa, rubber, potatoes, corn, to tobacco, I have come to the conclusion that the slower environmental changes had much more direct impact on history than the wars fought. This is a great read after the 1491 book by the same author. As a caution, this is not a "page-turner"; I had to take this in installments. There are great quantities of data and ideas to consider and process.